A Manual of Duties and Responsibilities

Prepared by the Membership Development Committee

Originally published in 1987. Revised in 1990, 2014, 2021.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

President
First Vice President
Second Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer

Terms of office and general duties and responsibilities of all standing committee chairpersons
Standing Committee charges and functions:

Membership Development Committee
Personnel Policies Committee
Professional Development Committee
Publications Committee
SUNYLA Information Literacy Committee
Technology Discussion Group

PART 3: DELEGATES

PART 4: OTHERS

Past President
Web Manager
Archivist
Liaisons

INTRODUCTION

This manual is designed to inform you about your duties and responsibilities as an elected or appointed representative of SUNYLA. It is intended to supplement the information contained in the Association’s Bylaws. Various sections cover the duties of (1) Officers, (2) Chairpersons of Standing Committees (also includes information about committee charges), (3) Delegates to SUNYLA Council, and (4) Others.

If you, the SUNYLA member, are interested in seeking election or appointment to office as a representative of the Association, this manual will give you some indication of the scope of duties of the various elective or appointive positions, or it can serve to help you decide which position best meets your interests. Of course, your Delegate, a Committee Chairperson, or any Officer will be happy to provide you with additional information.

Whether you are a SUNYLA member or officer, you should be familiar with the scope of responsibilities of your elected and appointed representatives and colleagues in office. Knowing how, where and to whom your suggestions, proposals or inquiries should be directed can only result in improved communication and organizational effectiveness.

This manual was prepared by the Special Membership Task Force (now the Standing Committee on Membership Development). The Task Force was chaired by Peter Olevnik (Brockport); other members were Christine Bulson (Oneonta), David Kreh (Cortland), Thomas J. Larson (Oswego), and Janet Steins (Stony Brook).

May, 1987 (First Edition)

PART 1: OFFICERS

PRESIDENT

Term of office:

The President serves for one year, and succeeds to that office following a one-year term as First Vice President (President Elect).

The President shall assume the duties of office immediately following the Annual Conference.

Duties and responsibilities:

As chief executive officer of the organization, assists in advancing the goals and objectives of the Association.
Schedules all meetings of the Executive Board and Council, and arranges appropriate meeting places.
Establishes agendas for all meetings of the Executive Board and Council, and for the Annual Meeting of the Membership.
Presides over all meetings of the Executive Board and Council, and of the Annual Meeting of the Membership.
In cases requiring immediate action, polls members of the Executive Board without convening that body in order to reach a majority vote on a given issue or issues. Such a poll shall constitute a meeting for the specific purpose(s) at hand and the President shall, upon its completion, notify the Secretary in writing as to the nature of the poll and its results.
Acts for, or on behalf of, the Executive Board between meetings of that body.
Makes appointments, in consultation with the Officers and with approval of the Council, of Chairpersons of all Standing and Special Committees and Task Forces.
Note: All such appointees must be regular members of the Association; they should be informed in writing as soon as possible after being appointed that their appointments will be submitted for approval at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Council.
President shares responsibility with all members of the Executive Board, Committee Chairpersons, and other Association members to send all appropriate archival materials to the SUNYLA Archivist.
Has authority to remove from office any appointee who has been found not discharging their duties as stated in the Bylaws, or as described in this Manual, after consultation with the Executive Board.
Serves as ex-officio member of all Standing Committees.
Establishes Special Committees and Task Forces, in consultation with the Executive Board and with approval of the Council.
Appoints replacements to fill vacancies on the Executive Board for the unexpired term of office, with the consent of the Council. Excluded from such appointment is the position of First Vice President, which must be filled by a special election for the unexpired portion of the term.
Note: The Executive Board is comprised of:
– Association Officers
– Past President
– Chairpersons of Standing Committees
– Web Manager
– Ad hoc committee Chairpersons and Liaisons (ex-officio)
Serves as liaison between SUNYLA and other professional organizations, or assigns such duties to others when unable to attend.
Represents SUNYLA at conferences of the SUNY Libraries Consortium.
Presents a written annual report to the Council and Membership at the conclusion President’s term of office.
Declares the election of Officers, with such election of Officers taking place during the month of April.
Responds to inquiries from members and non-members regarding Association interests and activities.
Performs such other duties as may be required.
Conducts such correspondence as may be directed by action of the official bodies of the Association and keeps an official file of correspondence to be deposited in the archives upon completion of the President’s term of office.

FIRST VICE PRESIDENT (PRESIDENT ELECT)

Term of office:

The First Vice President (President Elect) serves for one year and succeeds to the Office of President the following year.

The First Vice President (President Elect) shall assume the duties of office immediately following the Annual Conference.

Duties and responsibilities:

Serves as an Officer of SUNYLA, and assists in advancing the goals and objectives of the Association.
Attends all meetings of the Executive Board, the Council, and the Annual Meeting of the Membership.
Serves as Presiding Officer of meetings of the Executive Board, the Council, and the Annual Meeting of the Membership in absence of the President.
Performs the duties of the President in the President’s absence; assumes all duties of the President should the President step down from office.
Compiles a slate of candidates for SUNYLA office for the spring election.
Attends the conferences of the SUNY Libraries Consortium.
Responds to inquiries from members and non-members regarding Association interests and activities.
Serves as coordinator for SUNYLA delegates, acting as a liaison between them and the Association and providing them with counsel concerning their role in the Association.
Coordinates the New Conference Attendees/New Members meeting at the Annual Conference.
Performs other such duties as may be assigned.

SECOND VICE PRESIDENT

Term of office:

The Second Vice President serves for one year.

The Second Vice President shall assume the duties of office immediately following the Annual Conference.

Duties and responsibilities:

Serves as an Officer of SUNYLA, and assists in advancing the goals and objectives of the Association.
Attends all meetings of the Executive Board, the Council, and the Annual Meeting of the Membership.
Has full and complete responsibility for the Annual SUNYLA Conference, including program and local arrangements. Appoints committees to assist in planning and presenting the conference.
Note: Typically, in recent years, the Second Vice President has served as chairperson of the Program Committee and has delegated responsibility for local arrangements to members of the library faculty at the host campus.
Note: Best practice is to have the Second Vice President be directly affiliated with the host campus.
Presents a written annual report to the Council and Membership at the conclusion of the Second Vice President’s term of office.
Performs other duties as may be assigned.

SECRETARY

Term of office:

The Secretary serves for two years, after election to office in even-numbered years.

The Secretary shall assume the duties of office immediately following the Annual Conference.

Duties and responsibilities:

Serves as an officer of SUNYLA and assists in advancing the goals and objectives of the Association.
Attends all meetings of the Executive Board, Council Meetings, and the Annual Meeting of the Membership.
Records the minutes and attendance at all meetings.
Records all votes taken by the Executive Board and Council.
Distributes agendas, minutes of previous meetings, and appropriate supporting materials to the Executive Board and Council members, and others as appropriate, prior to meetings.
Maintains correct, current membership rosters and mailing lists of the Executive Board, Council, Delegates, committees, task forces, and liaisons.
Prepares ballots for elections of Officers and for all referenda, and distributes such to the membership with the assistance of the TDG chair. Communicates results of the elections and referenda to the membership, not including vote counts.
Conducts such correspondence as may be directed and keeps an official file of such correspondence to be deposited in the archives upon completion of the Secretary’s term of office.
Performs such other duties as may be assigned.

TREASURER

Term of office:

The Treasurer serves for two years, after election to office in odd-numbered years.

The Treasurer shall assume the duties of office immediately following the Annual Conference.

Duties and responsibilities:

Serves as an Officer of SUNYLA, and assists in advancing the goals and objectives of the Association.
Attends all meetings of the Executive Board, Council meetings, and the Annual Meeting of the Membership.
Receives membership forms and dues submitted by members; maintains a mailing list of members and forwards to the Secretary the names of those identified on forms as Delegates.
Prepares written statements of accounts before each Executive Board meeting and Council meeting, summarizing receipts and expenditures since the last report.
Has full and complete responsibility for all fiscal matters of the Association (except those matters related to the Annual SUNYLA Conference), including arranging for an external audit of the Treasurer’s accounts at the end of the Treasurer’s term of office or every four years, whichever comes first..
a. The Treasurer shall receive, record, hold, and disperse all monies of the Association following the current version of the “Policy on the Expenditure of Association Funds,” as approved by the Council.
b. More specifically, the Treasurer pays bills as authorized by the SUNYLA Bylaws and interpreted by the Executive Board. The Treasurer must be fully knowledgeable about all parts of the Bylaws, procedures and policies related to fiscal matters and expenditures of Association funds.
Prepares a written annual statement of accounts for the Membership. 8. Performs such other duties as assigned.

PART 2: STANDING COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS

Term of office of all Standing Committee Chairpersons:

Chairpersons of Standing Committees serve for three years. Appointments are made by the President and approved by Council. A chairperson may serve for a longer period, upon their willingness to serve, in consultation with the appropriate Committee membership and upon affirmation by the President.

Chairpersons of Standing Committees shall assume the duties of office upon receipt of the letter of appointment from the President.

Duties and responsibilities of Standing Committee Chairpersons:

As a member of the Executive Board, each Standing Committee Chairperson shares in making recommendations to the Council, and shares in the solicitation and dissemination of information necessary to implement the policies of the Association;
Prepares and submits an annual budget request for the work of the committee to the Executive Board, for its recommendation to the Council, by the first meeting of the Executive Board and the Council after the Annual Meeting.
Note: In some years, the Executive Board has held a planning meeting in the summer; committee budget requests have so far not been considered then, rather they have been saved to the fall meeting.
Attends all meetings of the Executive Board, Council meetings, and the Annual Meeting of the Membership. If unable to attend any of these meetings, delegates a member of the committee to attend and report in their place.
Selects at least three SUNYLA members to serve on the committee and files names of committee members with the Secretary of the Association.
Conducts meetings of the Standing Committee, and conducts election of a Committee Recording Secretary, as deemed necessary.
Prepares a summary of committee progress for presentation at meetings of the Council.
Prepares an annual report of committee activities for distribution to the membership in the Annual Conference registration packet.

MEMBERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

The Membership Development Committee is responsible for the recruitment of new members and the retention of all current members.

The committee prepares and distributes information to potential members and new members concerning the goals, objectives, programs and projects of the Association.

The committee promotes and develops incentives to ensure the growth of the membership and makes appropriate recommendations to the Executive Board and Council.

The committee updates and keeps current all informational materials related to membership.

PERSONNEL POLICIES

The Personnel Policies Committee is concerned with the development, coordination and implementation of the policies, procedures, and standards of appointment and other terms of employment within SUNY libraries.

The committee periodically conducts and distributes a SUNY Library Salary Survey, generally every two years, with the time of the final report distribution being such that the data may be useful in contract negotiations.

The committee conducts exit surveys of librarians leaving SUNY libraries and reports on the responses to this survey back to the Board and Council.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The Professional Development Committee recommends and develops programs of continuing education for SUNY librarians.

The committee is responsible for administering the annual “Friend of SUNYLA” award. It reviews criteria as necessary, solicits, receives and gathers appropriate background information and recommendations as requested for nominations, and presents nominations to the Executive Board for its deliberation and decision at its spring meeting.

The committee coordinates requests and proposals for Regional Workshops to ensure program quality and minimal duplication of effort; provides related administrative support and guidance upon request; and makes recommendations to the Executive Board on proposals which require initial financial support in keeping with the “Policy on Expenditure of Association Funds.”

The committee is concerned with principles and standards for college and university library professionals.

The committee supports professional endeavors in the wider community.

The committee oversees and coordinates professional development grants program.

PUBLICATIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS

The Publications Committee has overall responsibility for coordinating and disseminating the Association’s internal and external news services.

The committee is responsible for publishing the SUNYLA Newsletter (see also, Newsletter Editor’s duties and responsibilities, below);

In consultation with the President, the committee chair appoints the SUNYLA Newsletter editor.

The Committee is responsible for the production of any other publications of the Association, as mandated by the Council.

Newsletter Editor(s)

Through custom and practice, the duties and responsibilities of the SUNYLA Newsletter Editor have merged with those of the Publications Committee.

In addition, rather than a single Editor, there has been the practice of having two Co-Editors.

Specific duties of the Newsletter Editor(s), should they be conducted separately from those of the Chairperson of the Publications Committee, are:

Attend all meetings of the Executive Board, Council meetings, and the Annual Meeting of the Membership. If unable to attend, delegates the chairperson or another member of the Publications and Communications Committee to report in his or her place.
Prepare and distribute on a quarterly basis the SUNYLA Newsletter to all SUNYLA members (via normal distribution channels such as SUNYLA listservs and social media).
Serve as an ex-officio member of the Council.

SUNYLA INFORMATION LITERACY COMMITTEE

The SUNYLA Information Literacy Committee (SILC) shall: investigate system-wide initiatives relating to information literacy and offer recommendations for SUNY librarians to become involved; provide a forum for reflecting on concerns or interests relating to teaching practices and/or instruction programs; and, recommend and/or sponsor educational opportunities relating to information literacy for the SUNYLA community.

TECHNOLOGY DISCUSSION GROUP

The Technology Discussion Group serves as a focus for the exchange of information about library automation and information technology of interest to libraries; encourages discussion and education within and between interest groups of SUNY librarians and staff; and arranges technology oriented conferences that are of interest to the SUNYLA members.

PART 3: DELEGATES

Term of office:

Delegates are elected biannually, in odd-numbered years, by the SUNYLA members at each local SUNY unit.

Elected delegates shall assume their duties at the first meeting of the Council after the Annual Meeting of the Membership following their election.

Election procedure:

If a unit has only one Regular Member, that member shall be the Delegate.

The Delegate whose term of office is expiring shall conduct the local unit election.

Where there is no delegate, the local unit shall designate an Association member to conduct the election of a Delegate.

If a Delegate is elected as an Officer of the Association, the local unit may hold an election for a new Delegate. However, the Officer may act as the Delegate if the local unit so designates.

Duties and responsibilities:

Newly elected Delegates shall forward results of the election immediately to the Secretary of the Association, or notify the Secretary of any change in the Delegate.
Are encouraged to attend Council Meetings and the Annual Meeting of the Membership, or designate an alternate to attend in their absence.
Notify members in Delegate’s unit of all meetings and make the agendas available to them.
Route or distribute copies of all minutes to members in Delegate’s unit.
Keep members well informed on SUNYLA activities and issues.
Submit news items, articles, announcements and other items of interest from the unit to the newsletter editor(s) for inclusion in the SUNYLA Newsletter.
Recruit members from the Delegate’s unit.
Communication with unit’s members regarding spring elections.
Encourage members leaving local unit to complete Exit Survey.
Perform such other duties as assigned.

PART 4: OTHERS

PAST PRESIDENT

Term of office:

One year, following year served as President.

Duties and responsibilities:

Serves as a member of the Executive Board and Council.
Performs other such duties as may be assigned.

WEB MANAGER

Term of office:

Indeterminate.

Duties and responsibilities:

The Web Manager shall be responsible for the development and maintenance of the Association website. In consultation with the Executive Board, it shall be the responsibility of the Web Manager to upload and maintain documents as requested by the Executive Board, Committee Chairpersons, Liaisons, and other members and to perform other appropriate web development activities. The Web Manager is a voting member of the Executive Board. The Web Manager shall participate in the Technology Discussion Group.

ARCHIVIST

Term of office:

Indeterminate, generally three years.

Duties and responsibilities:

Collect and maintain official and unofficial documents of the Association and other relevant material.

LIAISONS

Term of office:

Indeterminate, generally three years.

Duties and responsibilities:

Acts as a representative of/to the Association in its dealings with other organizations.
Serves as a member of the Council and ex-officio member of Executive Board.